#-1: Gopher softball (Last Week: -1). On the whole, this has been a very good up and down the WMNSS. There weren't any true clunkers from any active Twin Cities teams, and that doesn't happen all that often. That being the case, this week I felt I should lean on record, which anoints the Golden Gopher softball team on top of the survey.
With Rachel Banham's competitive collegiate career over (although the crazy individual accolades for her continue to roll in -- last night she not only won the women's College Three-Point Championship, but then played the player who won the men's College Three-Point Championship and beat him!), U. fans need another heroine to believe in. Once again I give you the softball team's Sara Groenewegen, who was named B1G Pitcher and Co-Player Of The Week for basically being a one-woman wrecking ball in the club's three-game sweep at Purdue over the weekend. Groenewegen:
- Won two of the three games;
- Got the Save in the third;
- Struck out 24 batters;
- Allowed no earned runs for an ERA of ... carry the 1 ... 0.00;
- Went 4-for-5 at the plate;
- Smacked a Home Run;
- Batted in three Runs;
- Scored three Runs herself;
- Drew Walks four times;
- And even got herself hit by a pitch once.
So, why aren't isn't this squad getting a Positive Numbers, or at least a 0? Well, uh ... something to shoot for, I guess?
The team, still around the low 20's in the polls, has three at Northwestern this weekend.
#-2: Wild (Last Week: 0). I don't want to get too down on this club, although I don't think you should be losing at home to Ottawa last (Thursday) night, a team with virtually no hope to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs (ETA that the Senators actually were eliminated Wednesday night), this late in the season. Shame that that defeat snapped the team's winning streak at six ... but holy shit, they won six games in a row?! Turns out they did, and in doing so they went from stalking The Bastard Quebec Nordiques for the last spot in the Western Conference Playoffs to not only being five points clear of said Bastard Nordiques but actually being closer to Nashville (by four points) for seventh. By the way, the last two wins were in this screening week, each of them notable. The first was a gratifying 4-0 blitzing of said 'Lanche in Denver, and the second was a 4-1 crushing of the Chicago Blackhawks at home, thus sweeping the season series from the defending Stanley Cup champions 5-0.
There may not be enough time to catch the Predators for 7th. They have games at desperate Detroit and Winnipeg to finish off the road portion of their regular season schedule before playing San Jose at the X Tuesday. If they remain in eighth, they have to play the team in the Western Conference division-winning squad with the better record, which, by two points, is ... The Bastard North Stars. (deep breath) You know, a part of me has wanted to see The Team That Was Stolen From Us play us in the playoffs ever since '93. But now that it's becoming likely (although don't sleep on St. Louis, which is second place in the Central Division), I can't read the fanbase reaction to such a meeting. Part of me is scared that the reaction is going to be angry and violent. And another part of me is scared that the reaction is not going to be angry and violent. Well, we have four games left in the regular season. Let's actually sew up a playoff spot, then we'll see.
#-3: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -3). This may get lost inbetween the Wild and the Timberwolves (like it is now here in the survey), but there should be some note for the U. baseball club, which went 3-1 this week, including winning the weekend three-game series against then-ranked Missouri State at Missouri State. And to it the home-christening game of the year, where they crushed local patsy Saint Mary's 9-1, and the team, believe it or not, stands at 13-9 overall with a .500 (8-8) on the road. Not bad, especially now that it's warm enough to play at Siebert Field. So the Gophers are going to begin Big Ten action at home against Iowa for three this weekend, followed by one-off games against another local patsy, North Dakota St., Tuesday and non-local school Northern Illinois Wednesday.
#-4: Timberwolves (Last Week: -2). When the "worst" team in the survey finishes at .500, you know the local populace had a good week. Moreover, I still believe this team, this franchise, has turned a corner. Oh, sure, they lost at Target to Utah, which is still fighting for a playoff spot, and they just got throttled by 20 to the Clippers. But they didn't fold at home vs. Phoenix, and they battled back through two Overtimes to beat the pretty good Wizards in Washington. Notice, by the way, that Karl-Anthony Towns led the team in rebounds in all four games this screening week.
Hey, the season's about to be over, but unlike previous seasons, you kind of wished this one kept going because you know that this talented team will get a lot better with some more playing time. Nevertheless they have four games with which to improve: At Utah, home to Dallas, at the Golden State Warriors and then at Sacramento.
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